Thursday, October 23, 2008

Chloe Burrows: Britain's Youngest Scuba Diver?

Chloe Burrows only decided to start scuba diving when she saw how much fun her brother was having.

Now the adventurous ten-year-old could be the youngest fully qualified diver in Britain having passed her open water course with flying colours.

The Bedfield Primary School pupil from Monk Soham near Framlingham, enrolled at Diveline in Ipswich on the day of her birthday and two weeks later was in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt for the final test.

Although she was keen to start earlier the PADI open water qualification can only be taken by those aged ten or above.

Her mum Sally said: “She did a trial session with Diveline and then asked to do an open water dive but we were told she wasn't allowed to do it until she was 10.

“It just happened that the course started on her birthday - September 13 - and two weeks later she had qualified.”

Mrs Burrows said she also qualified at the same time as her daughter - following in the footsteps of husband, Paul, and 13-year-old son, Tom, who have just completed their advanced diving qualification, which Chloe will be able to do when she reaches 12.

Mrs Burrows said. “She has done exceptionally well. She got 95% in the written exam which is great because they don't distinguish between adults and children.”

Mrs Burrows said they had no idea that Chloe could be the youngest person in Britain to have qualified.

She added: “It hadn't even crossed our minds. To be honest I think she's a bit shocked by all the attention she's getting - she's quite shy and doesn't blow her own trumpet at all. It will have done her self confidence no harm.”